Application of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing(EMDR) to ASD Survivors of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake : Treatment with Less Stress for Stress Disorder.

Abstract

The Author applied EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) to two women survivors, who suffered from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and diagnosed as ASD one month following the earthquake. Within a session, their fears of the earthquake were diminished. The results showed that EMDR is effective for stress disorders like ASD or PTSD. A 25-year-old single woman initially complained of trauma-related imagery (e.g. fire) with an initial SUD level of eight. After four sets of eye movement (EM) the level of distress decreased to zero. After the seventh set of EM, her rating of cognition as "it was over" went up to "completely true." Five months later, these therapeutic changes were maintained without any relapse of symptoms. A married 28-year-old woman, re-experienced earthquake-related symptoms with a strong sense of fear during a therapy session of EMDR. The fear quickly decreased to a level of zero on SUD after the eleventh set of EM. At the same time she reported that she could believe a desirable cognition or that "everything is all right" without any doubt. The author pointed out that the therapeutic characteristics of EMDR are rapid effectiveness and less stress for both clients and therapists. Also some hypotheses of working mechanisms of EMDR were introduced.